Organizing Without Plastic
 

I keep all of my fabric in plastic bins, but honestly, I hate the plastic. Every time I start searching for other storage solution, (and not just for my fabric,) I run into more and more plastic...augh! I'd love to hear about the storage solutions that you've found that are more organic and earthy in nature. Wood, ceramic, plant materials, even metal would beat out plastic in my mind. Thanks.

~ C

I'll throw out one idea. I use those 1930s Pyrex refrigerator dishes with covers in the kitchen and I love them. They come in various sizes and are bright and colorful. They also come in clear. These might work in the craft room too. I found mine on Ebay.

https://i.pinimg.com/736x/80/9f/a3/8...361876a724.jpg

~C

This canvas bin with pom poms is way cute: https://www.crateandbarrel.com/pehr-...nt-bin/s512183 You could put your own pom poms on something already made and maybe on something larger to hold fabrics.

Or, you could just buy it. Time is money.

~ C

The craft stores sell wooden crates you could use.

Target has some nice canvas storage bins. I have a couple of them to put my craft books in and when I need a book to look at then I can just pull out the bin and get the book I need.

I can't see through wood or cloth containers. Glass is too heavy and a safety issue for me with tile flooring. Clear plastic containers of all sizes are not the most attractive but the most efficient for me.

I buy cardboard "Banker Boxes" from office supply stores. The best are archival quality, but that's usually a budget stretch for me, so I buy heavy duty and line with acid free archival quality tissue paper. The lighter weight lids do not last well, heavy is the way to go.

The boxes are a consistent size, and that size fits prepped fabric very well! That is yardage folded in 4ths across the width. You can stack them easily 4-5 boxes high. While a full box does get heavy, weight isn't too much of an issue. I still have a few pieces of fabric that I bought in the 70s/early 80s, along with vintage fabrics, and light protection is a concern of mine.

I sort by general types or colors, so I have a dark blue box and a light blue box. I have a box just of cat fabrics. I have other color or theme boxes, some 23-26 total... I just write on the outside of the carton "Green" or whatever it may be and make sure to stack with the color name facing out. If I change/reduce my fabric, I write the current contents on a piece of paper and tape it over the old name.

It is very important if you store in cardboard that you have no issues with bugs, and that you never ever store cardboard directly on a cement slab floor. If will wick up trace amounts of moisture and you will get the musty smell and it will attract critters. Even though my sewing room does not have a cement floor, I keep my boxes on rolling racks so they can get air flow.

Check out QVC. They have a current sale on fabric boxes with windows. I don't know what size you are looking for. They have a few different versions. I am planning to order the larger ones to keep my quilts and bedding in. I like the fact they have windows, also metal inserts to hold the shape, and stack.

I use the wire basket systems for fat quarters and charm packs. Embroidery thread and serger cones are stored on dry erase board with golf tees glued onto it.

The baskets come if different sizes including height and width. I have 4 units for storage in the sewing room. The 4 drawer unit rolls right under the cutting table. The 7 drawer unit is under the ironing station. Drawers can be changed according to needs as long as you have the same width on the drawers.

https://www.containerstore.com/s/elf...ccessories/123

Yardage is ruler folded with 6.5 wide ruler, folded in half, and stored on closet shelves. I'm considering a metal storage cabinet and adding casters so they can be moved if needed.

https://www.officedepot.com/a/produc...age-Cabinet-4/

Finally, these are on my wish list for some-day.

https://www.uline.com/BL_3939/Clear-View-Cabinets